Let’s support breastfeeding mothers

ZIMBABWE yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Breastfeeding Week. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies.

The commemorations are aimed at highlighting the huge benefits that breastfeeding can bring to the health and welfare of babies, as well as a wider push for maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security.

The first week of August signifies one of the most important events on the nutrition calendar.

This year’s breastfeeding week is running under the theme, “Empower Parents. Enable Breastfeeding”.

The theme recognises the importance of team effort in breastfeeding. It is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Breastfeeding is a universal solution that levels the playing field, giving everyone a fair start in life.

It improves the health, well-being and survival of women and children around the world.

In an interview with The Herald, Zimbabwe Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (ZSCOSUNA) National Coordinator, Kudakwashe Zombe said starting breastfeeding immediately or soon after birth is a relatively common practice in the country.

This is called early initiation of breastfeeding and supports continued breastfeeding success.

“Virtually all mothers can breastfeed provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, health care system and society at large.

“Although, breastfeeding is in the mother’s domain fathers, families, workplaces and communities should support lactating mothers if current breastfeeding rates are to increase in our nation. To enable breastfeeding we all need to protect, promote and support it.

“Every infant and child has the right to good nutrition according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” he said.

Zombe noted that the first two years of a child’s life are particularly important as optimal nutrition during this period lowers morbidity and mortality, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and fosters better development. Optimal breastfeeding is critical as it saves lives of children under the age of 5 years.

Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) adopted World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recommendations and promotes the embracing of optimal infant and young child feeding practices.

It strives to ensure that all new born babies are

initiated on breastfeeding early, within the first hour after birth.

MoHCC also encourages families to ensure children below the age of six months are given breast milk only and not even water and medicines unless when prescribed by a doctor or a health professional.

For children aged six months, it is recommended that they are introduced to nutritious, adequate and safe foods together with continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.

On the other hand, children born to HIV-infected mothers, anti-retroviral drugs allows them to be exclusively breastfed until they are six-months-old and continued breastfeeding until 24 months of age.

It is strongly recommended that such women visit the nearest health facility so that they get more information and support on breastfeeding. The nutritionist added that giving breast milk only to infants below six months has many benefits for the infant and mother.

“Chief among these is protection against gastrointestinal infections which is observed not only in developing, but also industrialised countries.

“Early initiation of breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, protects the new born from acquiring infections and reduces new born mortality.

“The risk of mortality due to diarrhoea and other infections can increase in infants who are either partially breastfed or not breastfed at all.

“Breast-milk is an important source of energy and nutrients in children aged six to 23 months. It can provide half or more of a child’s energy needs between the ages of six and 12 months, and one third of energy needs between 12 and 24 months.”

Breast milk is also a critical source of energy and nutrients during illness, and reduces mortality among children who are malnourished. Children and adolescents who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese.

Additionally, they perform better on intelligence tests and have higher school attendance. Breastfeeding is also associated with higher income in adult life.

Improving child development and reducing health costs results in economic gains for individual families as well as at the national level.

The benefits of breastfeeding go beyond that of solely benefiting a baby, the positive short and long term effects of breastfeeding for mothers are evident, lasting and should be considered as additional reasons to choose to breastfeed.

Longer durations of breastfeeding contribute to the health and well-being of mothers, it reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.

A mother’s emotional health can benefit from the relationship she has with her baby while breastfeeding.

This connection can result in lessened anxiety, and a stronger connection with her baby.

Additionally, breastfeeding can decrease a mother’s risk of acquiring post-partum depression. The convenience of breastfeeding can add flexibility to a mother’s schedule, and provide a time-saving solution when travelling or working outside, resulting in less stress for new mothers.

In its World Breastfeeding Week 2019 message, WHO said family-friendly policies — such as paid parental leave — enable breastfeeding and help parents nurture and bond with their children in early life, when it matters most.

“The evidence is clear that during early childhood, the optimal nutrition provided by breastfeeding, along with nurturing care and stimulation, can strengthen children’s brain development with impacts that endure over a lifetime.

“Family-friendly policies are particularly important for working parents. Mothers need time off from work to recover from birth and get breastfeeding off to a successful start.

“When a breastfeeding mother returns to work, her ability to continue breastfeeding depends on having access to breastfeeding breaks, a safe, private, and hygienic space for expressing and storing breast milk, and affordable childcare at or near her workplace,” said WHO.

WHO added that time off work is also important for fathers as paid paternity leave allows fathers to bond with their babies and promotes gender-equality, including through the sharing of childrearing and household responsibilities.

The organisation also noted that returning to work too soon is a barrier to the early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months and continued breastfeeding until age two or longer — practices that can boost children’s immune systems, shield them from disease, and provide protection from non-communicable diseases later in life.

Breastfeeding also protects maternal health — women who breastfeed reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

In addition to their impact on children, family-friendly policies support women’s participation in the workforce, improve their physical and mental health and enhance family well-being.

They also advance business objectives and strengthen the economy. Such policies have been shown to increase employee retention, improve job satisfaction, and result in fewer absences. In short, family-friendly policies are good for families, babies and business.

As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, WHO and UNICEF call on governments and all employers to adopt family-friendly policies — including paid maternity leave for a minimum of 18 weeks, and preferably, for a period of six months — as well as paid paternity leave.

In line with the policy actions advocated by the WHO-UNICEF-led Global Breastfeeding Collective, it is noble to invest in comprehensive breastfeeding programmes, improved breastfeeding counselling and support for women in health facilities and the community, and an end to the promotion of breastmilk substitutes to enable parents to make informed decisions on the best way to feed their infants.

As the country commemorate this year’s world breastfeeding week, everyone should play their part in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding.